Plastic-free supermarket aisles backed by 91% of shoppers

Older people are more willing to support the less plastic initiative, the survey found

More than 90% of people in the UK would welcome a ‘plastic-free’ aisle as a measure to reducing the amount of packaging used in supermarkets.

Asked how they would feel about the introduction of a single aisle in supermarkets with zero plastic packaging, 91% of respondents to a survey commissioned by environmental campaign group A Plastic Planet said they would be happy to see the change brought in, with 81% saying they were concerned about the amount of plastic being used and thrown away in the retail industry.

The age group showing the most support for the initiative was older people, with 94% of people over the age of 65 saying they would support a plastic-free aisle, compared with 89% of 25 to 34-year-olds.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Great British public wants a fresh alternative to goods laden with plastic packaging. Too much of our plastic waste ends up in oceans and landfill. Consumer demand for products that generate less plastic waste is higher than ever,” said A Plastic Planet co-founder Sian Sutherland.

“A plastic-free aisle would help supermarkets meet the needs of shoppers who are fed up of buying products covered with layer after layer of throwaway plastic.”

The survey was carried out by Populus, which asked 2,000 adults in the UK their views on plastic use in supermarkets.

Readers' comments (1)

Interesting initiative, but this seems a bit simplistic ... do we expect shoppers to understand how much plastic is recyclable and how much IS recycled? I've met plenty of shoppers who hold a wide variety of views: that no plastic can be recycled, that glass (for example) is somehow automatically more green, or whose local authority genuinely does not collect kerbside OR offer centralised recycling facilities. We need to listen to shoppers but the industry as a whole needs to show some leadership, keep our own houses in order, talk about the good work that is done and pressurise Local Authorities that are still failing to do the right thing.